MORE buds!

[VickiC]

Thank you, Snow!
Vicki

Originally Posted by snow

hi vicky, let the buds develope first before you move it. a few weeks to enjoy the flowers should not hurt it.
i do it all the time.
is it not why we grow them?

[Royal]

Originally Posted by VickiC

Hi Royal,
Yes indeed....I love the feeling. ....especially since this will only be the 2nd orchid that I've had to bloom since I started trying to grow last Spring.

Wow, it took me a while longer to have two bloom so close together. It quickly became my goal to have something in bloom year round. The rest is history.

What others do you grow? With just a few smart additions you can fill in a few bloom gaps.

[VickiC]

Hi Royal,
(Get ready to read a book...probably because I've had 2 cups of cappuccino and 2 Excedrin this morn., so "cafferine speaks )

I realize now that I started growing too many "already a little sick" (for example, root rot) orchids in the beginning, so I'm having to learn how to save them and grow them (as if they were well) at the same time. Of course, I also contributed to the root rot...and crown rot, but I understand that's rather common sometimes with new kids on the block. I've since learned that it just makes better sense to buy healthy plants. That way it seems to be less confusing as to who made them sick or even killed them. lol I've made the mistake of buying too many orchids from Walmart and Lowes that have probably been at the stores too long. Now I don't buy any there unless they just arrived and seem relatively healthy (although in usually very wet sphag). I've bought 3 or 4 from reputable growers online. too. Many of the ones I have are small...rescues from larger orchids that I have killed (keikes, etc.) I guess I need to settle on the one(s) that I can grow best with my conditions here in my neck of the woods in Alabama (can you tell I'm a Southern redneck Actually, I don't consider myself a redneck. Or at least won't admit it. ) I don't have high light in my orchid grow room, so Phals may be the ones I settle on. ?? I'm still in the "trying different type orchids" stage now, though. For light, I have 2 4' T5s with 4 54 watt bulbs each, but since the bulb light contributes a lot to heat above the plants, I can't have my orchids as close under the lights as I would like (I VERY MUCH wish I could find a solution for this!!) I have 1 large fan and 1 small one in my 10x10' room plus 2 humifiers). I also have 2 120 watt grow spot lights...1 above a plant plus one above my intensive care unit....which now houses 4 orchids. (My ICU is a large plastic clear storage box...with water in the bottom, inverted pots with overhead light grill sitting on the pots--then partially covered with the lid. Basically same as my Exo Terra.
Anyway, I have:

12 phals
1 paph
10 catts
1 vanda
3 den phals
1 den aggregatum
2 Brassia
3 onc.
1 epidendrum
1 masdevallia floribunda...in my tank
1 tiny dryadella zebrina (that I just mentioned)...also in my tank.
4 in water (but I think I started that out wrong too, because all 4 of them had been sick, but treated (root rot) before I put them in water.

I haven't learned abbreviations as I should, so some of the ones I listed are probably not correct.

Now, I wonder if I left out something. Oh yes, a few of the ones I have are in the house...east and south windows.

Ok, this is chapter one for the day. My book is to be continued in the future. Feel free to ask questions. (I'm guessing you're sorry you asked THIS one ) Also, PLEASE offer any advice....I ALWAYS appreciate any help!
Have a good day,
Vicki

Originally Posted by RoyalOrchids

Wow, it took me a while longer to have two bloom so close together. It quickly became my goal to have something in bloom year round. The rest is history.

What others do you grow? With just a few smart additions you can fill in a few bloom gaps.

[Royal]

Sounds familiar. In my (rural) area there are no real vendors, just big-box stores and of course a Spwral-Mart. Many of my first (and a few recent ones) came from those sources. Discovering mail order changed my orchid life. You can get just about anything through the mail these days and there are some awesome deals - but I digress.

Your statement about focusing on what you know that you grow well is smart. It took me 5 or 6 years to figure that out, but I didn't have the OB. Living in TX, I chose to focus on warm growing varieties, mostly Cattleya alliance, and mostly species or primary hybrids. I've got a few more hybrids these days, plus a few Phals, but I've also focused my Cat collection a bit more too (mostly bifoliate Catts, Brassavola hybrids, and Encyclias). I know that still leaves things pretty wide open still, but It keeps me from go over the edge.

Think about a Jewel orchid, some Brassavolas, and a few Encyclias. You're closer to constant blooms than you think.

[quiltergal]

Hmmm, wondering about the heat from your lights. I'm using 2 4' T5s per shelf (3 shelves) and I'm not having any trouble with heat. I do leave the orchid room door open so maybe most of the heat dissipates into the rest of the house. I have one shelf in particular that is very close to the lights....like so close the spikes are growing between the two bulbs. I don't run fans either.

[VickiC]

Hi Terri,
I'm wondering about the difference between your T5s and and mine, too! Here's what I have: Hydrofarm - Hydrofarm FLT54 T5 Fluorescent System, 4 Tube, 46-1/4" x 13" x 2-3/8"
Maybe the problem is my room setup, but I have tried and tried different arrangements, but no luck at all! When I can clean up the room, maybe I can take pics and attach them so that you'll see what I'm trying to tell you. Pics would be better than my way of explaining, I'm sure.

Ok, here's what is going on now: My orchid room is attached to our garage (somewhat like a rather large utility room...10x10x10...my husband's ex-electronics hobby shop). There is one small air duct blowing into the room from inside the house. There is also a return duct. As I was telling Royal, I don't have nearly as much light output from my T5s as I would if I moved them closer to my plants....BUT....there's the bigtime problem. If I DO move the lights closer down to my plants, as yours are, the heat from the T5s is way too hot on my orchids. (You should see a catt leaf I burned...almost half of it is dark brown--burned to a crisp). An example would be one morn. last fall: I usually run both of my humidifiers at night, but that's all. In the morn. I turn my lights and fans on, but one morn. I forgot to turn my fans on when I turned my lights on. I just happend to come in the room a little later that morn., and the temp. on my orchid leaves was approx 106 degrees, etc. Another example is yesterday. It was about 60 degrees outside, but the 2 sets of T5s above my orchids were hot enough to warm the room to 82 degrees and about 85-88 degrees on my plants. That's with both fans on. By the way, at this time, the distance from one set of T5s is 21"-down to the counter. I have the other one hung at 17" from the top of the counter. I have the two fans (one floor fan, and one small one on the counter) blowing over my orchids, and also 2 humidifiers in the room which keeps the humidity to approx. 50%. If I left the door to the garage open, that would most likely help the temp. a bit....(prob. not enough to make a good difference, though), but I would also lose the humidity from my humidfiers.

Soooo, if you have advice that would help me, please let me know. Also, if anyone else happens to read this, I would appreciate all of your help.

Thanks for reading chapter 2 of my book.
Vicki

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Hmmm, wondering about the heat from your lights. I'm using 2 4' T5s per shelf (3 shelves) and I'm not having any trouble with heat. I do leave the orchid room door open so maybe most of the heat dissipates into the rest of the house. I have one shelf in particular that is very close to the lights....like so close the spikes are growing between the two bulbs. I don't run fans either.

[quiltergal]

Does your fixture have a reflector? Mine doesn't. I just bought the bare bones ballast and tubes, daisy chained them together and called it good. Could be the heat is building up inside the hood of the fixture and has no way to escape. Since my bulbs aren't enclosed any heat rises up and around them. Here's a pic of my set up. Taken last spring. The shelves are now packed! I'm also using the 6400K, 54W bulbs. I have burned a leaf or two, but only when they were actually touching a bulb.

[VickiC]

Hi Royal,
My hat's off to you, Royal....sounds like things are going good for you and your orchids. Not having OB to advise you, sounds like you've done well over the years (I don't know how long you've been growing). I just can't imagine not having OB help.

Last Spring, when I began my "orchid endeavor", I was intrigued by catt blooms especially, and thought...THOSE are the main orchids I wanna grow. Well, it didn't take me a whole lotta time to realize that I couldn't supply the light that they require. I know now that catts won't bloom if they're not getting the light they need, so as much as I really enjoyed (and enjoy) watching my plants grow, I wanted blooms too, of course.

I understood that Jewel orchids are pretty easy to grow, so I ordered one several months back....but as hard as I tried, it got sicker and sicker and finally died....rotted. I just knew that surely I was providing the correct amount of light for it, and other growing conditions, but apparently not....or something else went wrong ??

Anyway, I'm gonna "keep on keeping on", and we'll see how things go, but if you read my reply to Terri, and if you think of anything that would help me, I really would appreciate your advise...as well as hers...and anyone's.
Vicki

Originally Posted by RoyalOrchids

Sounds familiar. In my (rural) area there are no real vendors, just big-box stores and of course a Spwral-Mart. Many of my first (and a few recent ones) came from those sources. Discovering mail order changed my orchid life. You can get just about anything through the mail these days and there are some awesome deals - but I digress.

Your statement about focusing on what you know that you grow well is smart. It took me 5 or 6 years to figure that out, but I didn't have the OB. Living in TX, I chose to focus on warm growing varieties, mostly Cattleya alliance, and mostly species or primary hybrids. I've got a few more hybrids these days, plus a few Phals, but I've also focused my Cat collection a bit more too (mostly bifoliate Catts, Brassavola hybrids, and Encyclias). I know that still leaves things pretty wide open still, but It keeps me from go over the edge.

Think about a Jewel orchid, some Brassavolas, and a few Encyclias. You're closer to constant blooms than you think.

[VickiC]

Hi again Terri,
What a great setup....what I would give for as much natural light as you have. Looks like your orchids are happy there.

Yes, my fixtures have reflectors built in. You have a good thought about heat building up, but if that is the problem, do you know of a solution?

Thanks! Let me know!
Vicki

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Does your fixture have a reflector? Mine doesn't. I just bought the bare bones ballast and tubes, daisy chained them together and called it good. Could be the heat is building up inside the hood of the fixture and has no way to escape. Since my bulbs aren't enclosed any heat rises up and around them. Here's a pic of my set up. Taken last spring. The shelves are now packed! I'm also using the 6400K, 54W bulbs. I have burned a leaf or two, but only when they were actually touching a bulb.

[quiltergal]

I'm not sure what the solution is Vicki. Seems like somewhat of a design flaw. I would have thought venting would have been built into the hood. Short of drilling holes in the top I'm not sure what to tell you. Wish Ross was around more, he's better at this stuff than me. I'm sure he'd have a better suggestion.